


Hot and Dangerous

by fzywood



Series: BBS Gang Tales [2]
Category: Banana Bus Squad
Genre: Blood, Blood and Injury, Gangs, M/M, Making Out, Original Character(s), Sexual Assault, Strippers & Strip Clubs, Violence, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-28
Updated: 2019-02-20
Packaged: 2019-05-15 02:17:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14781743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fzywood/pseuds/fzywood
Summary: As Ryan stared at the revealing outfit, he could only wonder how much of a hell this mission would be.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> okay so funny enough, a fan art of Ryan in a stripper outfit inspired this and i dont even remember who made it fbjiwb. Also, this has been in the making since February but ive been writing it slowly so yeet! Anyways, this'll prob be 2-3 chapters!! Hope you enjoy this :) !! 
> 
> P.S. i actually hate this title but the document is literally named "gang auu uno" so you know i obviously have no idea what to name this gbjieb, so for now it sounds like lyrics from a Ke$ha song so yeet thats how lifes going

“Damon Eder.” Were the only words out of Evan’s mouth as he slapped down a folder that was full of papers ready to fall out.

 

“He’s our next target. As some of you may know,” Evan paused and looked at the members in his gang who were currently surrounding the large, mahogany table before clicking a button on the little remote he held as a slideshow popped up, showing the most popular stripper clubs that resided in Los Santos. “He owns multiple lots of land which holds his strip club. Now, this would be fine except there is heavy evidence that this man,” Evan stopped again to press the button again, now showing a picture of the rugged looking man. “Has murdered multiple people, forged money, committed tax evasion multiple times, and the list goes on. It is safe to assume he’s gotten this far by treating some higher ups nicely but he stops now.” Evan moved to the side as he pointed at the man in the slideshow.

 

Damon Eder had dark brown, short hair and a trimmed beard covering the bottom half of his face. He wore black sunglasses in the picture which complimented his navy blue suit and long, black top coat which reached knee length on the male. His hands were resting in the pockets of his suit pants, therefore pushing the suit jacket and top coat back, revealing the under white buttoned up shirt that was tucked into his pants. He had an irritated look on his face and the picture was taken in one of his clubs since the background consisted of velvet purple items and numerous colored lights which lit up the bar. The bar’s shelf held countless bottles of different types of alcohol and a myriad of glasses. 

 

“Now, for this mission we need to go undercover and make sure we get in and out. Sooner we end this man, sooner we can move on and relax. Aight?” Evan asked and everyone nodded, letting the only thing be heard is Evan’s footsteps as he walked around in front of them.

 

“We need someone to go under as a stripper. We can fake your criminal records and hell, even have you commit a crime in front of him or one of his goonies so you can talk to him privately. Then, we’ll need three of you to go under as security guards to keep constant surveillance. You cannot know each other nor become friendly with each other in this time. Lastly, some of us will also go in as “higher ups” and also help keep an eye out. Now, for this plan I believe Ryan should undergo as the stripper. Tyler, David, and Marcel as the security guards. Lastly, Brian, Brock, and Luke. You guys are going to go undercover as higher-ups.” Evan finished and as soon as he said those last words, Ryan shot up out of his seat.

 

“Why should I go as the stripper?!?” Ryan’s voice, usually deeper, was now higher pitched and cracking as he yelled at his superior.

 

“No one knows your face, Ryan. That’s a huge perk. Also, your face and body are the most similar to someone in the age of the strippers. You’ll fit right in unlike most of us, and I promise that we’ll make sure this mission is one of our fastest.” Evan’s voice stayed calm as he watched Ryan’s tense body start to shake.

 

“How can you guarantee that? What if something goes haywire?” Ryan asked, his mind panicking about every little thing at that moment.

 

“Then we do what we always do when stuff like that happens, we don’t let panic take over and think quickly while keeping our concerns on keeping others and ourselves safe.” Evan responded, placing his hands on the table as he leaned his weight off of his feet.

 

Ryan didn’t seem pleased about the answer but he kept silent and sat down, his face now expressing a mix between unpleasant and anger. 

 

“What about the rest of us?” Jonathan was quick to ask, thankfully breaking the uneasiness that had started to thicken up in the room and Evan shot him a soft smile before letting his smile drop so he could be serious again.

 

“I want Craig on watching through the cameras, keeping tabs on our man and any other suspicious activities. We already have the layout of the building we will be infiltrating and we labeled rooms, cameras, major blind spots which we can keep an eye out for, and more.” Evan said as he slid a copy of the layout to Craig who stopped it by putting his hand on it. 

 

“Next, Lui and Jon, you guys will these next days stock us up on ammo, guns, grenades even. Whatever we need, and since you two are our weapon masters, you’ll know best.” Evan stated as Lui and Jonathan leaned over the table, high fiving each other as they whispered some team name they had come up with months ago since they first teamed up.

 

“Lastly, I’ll make sure that everything is planned out and that our backup is ready if need be. I’ll keep all of you updated on any changes in our plan. Now, if anyone has any personal problems,” Evan stopped for a moment as his eyes flickered to Ryan who was sitting there, his arms crossed against his chest. “You may see me privately or if you have any questions, please ask them now.” 

 

Silence filled the room for five seconds before Evan dismissed the group. He turned his back to clean up his things, hearing the chatter from his gang members slowly start to fade out. As he was closing up his presentation, he felt a presence behind him and he turned his body slightly to see that Ryan stood there. 

 

“One second Ryan.” Evan said as he turned off his computer then turned around fully to face his friend.

 

“Evan, why do I have to be a stripper?” Ryan was quick to ask, his eyes full of worry and Evan felt a wave of guilt fill up in his chest before he forced it to go away.

 

“I don’t want you to do this either Ryan, but you’ll be the one who can get closest to him. As much as I’d like to hire someone else, you’re one of the most trustworthy people here. You’ve gone in so many undercover missions and have never failed us, so why should I start trusting someone with a job as big as this? Also, I’ve looked into the job and I promise it won’t be too bad. You get free living there and have complimentary meals that he has some of the most established chefs in the city there to make meals. Also, people aren’t allowed to touch you, as in, yes you will have to dance and show yourself off around these people but only security guards and the boss can actually lay some sort of hand on you without getting in trouble.” Evan explained and Ryan did feel some of his nervousness ease as Evan explained how this might be nice for him but it didn’t wash away everything in his mind.

 

“Evan, am I actually prepared for this?” Ryan asked through his worry and Evan took a few steps forward, his arms opened quick but were slow to close around Ryan, giving him a soft squeeze which did give some comfort to him.

 

“No one is ever fully prepared for anything, but you are the most prepared out of everyone here for something like this. If there’s anyone I trust with something like this, it’s you, Ryan. I believe that you’re going to get through this with ease and I promise I’ll save the killing of Damon for you.” Evan joked at the end but Ryan could tell that there was seriousness underneath it.

 

Ryan let himself stay in that hug for a moment, worry overflowing in his mind as he thought about anything that could go wrong. As he began to close his eyes, exhaustion running through his whole body, a knock came from the door. The two were quick to separate as their eyes looked at the standing figures in the doorway. 

 

“Jonathan.” Evan said with a soft smile and Jonathan shook his head in (fake) disapproval as he made his way to the pair.

 

“Wow, we’ve been dating for only six months and you’re already cheating on me? What’s next? We haven’t even begun to argue yet.” Jonathan laughed, causing the other two to join him in the laughter.

 

“Don’t worry Jon, I was just about to leave. Sorry for stealing him for so long.” Ryan began to walk out of the room but before he was fully out, he made sure to warn them that they better clean up whatever mess they make, causing Jonathan to start yelling at him as Evan laughed at Ryan’s comment. 

 

Ryan began to look over the large house, wondering where his own boyfriend was resided at that moment. After visiting countless rooms, full of anyone but the one he wanted, he finally decided that Luke might just be in their room. All Ryan wanted at that moment was to cuddle with Luke while some movie played. 

 

When he opened the door, he was hoping to see Luke, changed into no shirt and sweatpants, relaxing on their shared, queen sized bed. Hopefully the lights would’ve been off as maybe Game of Thrones or some other show they enjoyed was on, and he would just invite him to cuddle. Instead, Luke was pacing around the room, an obvious angered look on his face and Ryan’s stomach dropped, knowing what they were about to talk.

 

“Luke-” Ryan began but was interrupted by Luke turning harshly to face him and walk close to him.

 

“How the fuck can Evan just make you do that? That’s not fucking fair to either of us I mean, he knows we’re both taken by each other and yet he’s completely disregarding that fact! What if someone tries something with you? I can’t fucking be there to protect you and neither can the other guys! What if this Damon fucker finds out and hu-” Luke’s concern made Ryan move quickly and wrap his arms around the older man’s neck and kiss him.

 

They stayed like that, lips simply pressed against each other, and after a few more seconds of kissing, Ryan pulled back and Luke was silent. 

 

“I know this time, me going undercover isn’t the safest,” Ryan began, his voice soft and reassuring. “But as I just discussed with Evan, this is the best scenario. Plus, the perks of this won’t be too bad besides being separated away from you.” Ryan mumbled the last part, a blush lightly blushing his cheeks and Luke let a smile fall upon his lips but it was quick to disappear.

 

“Wait, what do you mean by that last part?” Luke questioned, his previously relaxed body was tensed up again and Ryan winced, realizing he may have messed up.

 

He hesitated before speaking in a low voice.

 

“I have to stay at the living area in the club.” Ryan said and Luke groaned loudly in response.

 

“I’m sorry Toonzy,” Ryan used one of his favorite nicknames for Luke. “I don’t want to be separated from you either but hey, just makes the moments now even more worth it.” 

 

“First you have to show your body off to others when it should only be for me and now you have to stay at that jackasses living apartments? How the fuck is that ev-” Luke began to yell and Ryan was quick to climb on top of the bed and move across, just to lean over and wrap his arms once again around the older man.

 

“I promise it’s a lot better than what it actually is. You know, none of those guys are actually allowed to touch me. And if they do, then hey, I’ve got three big, bad security guards there to help just in case.” Ryan joked as he rested his head on Luke’s shoulder and a wave of relief swept through his body when he felt Luke relax once again. 

 

“Now come into bed, let’s cuddle and watch some TV.” Ryan pulled himself away and got off the bed, standing next to Luke now. 

 

The two stripped out of their clothes from before and changed into some sweatpants, their shirts being left on the ground to be worried about later. The two finally laid together in bed, their bodies pressed against each other, warmth surrounding them as the held each other. Out of everywhere in the world, this is where Ryan would always choose to be at the end of the day, in his lovers arms. 

 

Man he would miss this.

 

;

 

Ryan heard the alarms go off behind him in the 7/11 he just stole from (he felt guilt ripple throughout his chest at the fact he involved someone who didn’t need to be involved) and the only thing he could feel as he ran towards his getaway vehicle was his heart pounding and he felt like it was about to actually leap out his chest. Police sirens were heard in the distance and Ryan made a wise decision of taking a sharp left into the alleyway which he had come upon, noticing that there were multiple ways to hide and even a ladder he could use to escape. He decided to stop for a moment and threw the bag of things he had just stolen behind a pile of cardboard boxes as he sat down, leaning against the wall, trying to catch his breath. The footsteps were loud as they began to make their way towards where Ryan was sitting. 

 

“Ryan, correct?” A voice asked and the man sitting on the ground nodded silently before looking up to see the man he’s been waiting for, Damon Eder.

 

“I’ve heard that you have gotten into a bit of trouble, now, I’m here with an offer. Those debts and crimes you’ve been pulling off since dropping out of high school?” Damon stopped to lower himself so he was leaning on one of his knees, still peering down at Ryan. “I can help those disappear if you’d like. Of course, if you don’t like the sound of this, then I could just turn you over to the police. After all, those lovely men are still out there, looking for your charming face.” Damon’s words were slow as he ran a hand from Ryan’s shoulder to his elbow before he made Damon stop by grabbing it. 

 

“Feisty, eh? Do you even wanna hear the proposal?” The man asked with an edge to his tone and Ryan let out a sigh before nodding, wishing he was just home with Luke again.

 

“Good boy, now, my offer is you work in one of my clubs for a while and I’ll help pay off your little crimes. You’ll have to live the apartments above the club, but everything else is covered. How does that sound?” Damon’s voice had a sharpness to it and Ryan wondered if anyone had ever denied this offer before, and as much as he wanted to know, he had a family and boyfriend to get back to.

 

“Perfect.” Ryan’s voice was miniscule in comparison but the smile that appeared on Damon’s lips sent a shiver down Ryan’s spine that he had never felt before and he could only wonder how those who weren’t as mature or as trained as him reacted to this smile.

 

Damon’s hand which had latched onto Ryan’s upper arm was bony and rough upon contact, leading Ryan to long for the feeling of his boyfriend’s hands instead. Ryan took a closer look at the older man’s hands and noticed that his nails were neatly trimmed and in Ryan’s mind, he wondered if it would be rude to call them something along the lines of daggers. As soon as Ryan was standing, Damen made sure to keep a tight grip on his upper arm as he used his other hand to pull out a phone, only to put it back almost a minute later into its previous spot moments before. Ryan could only watch in awe as police cars drove by the alleyway, looking at Damon and him as they passed, the former waving to them as the cars quickly passed by.

 

Ryan wondered how much power he truly did have over this city because even with Evan’s status, he was so confined as he was with the resources they had. It made sense after all, who’d want to sell to the good guys when you can keep supporting the corrupt who’ll probably stay alive longer? 

 

The two walked to the black car which was waiting down the street, right next to the 7/11, for them and Ryan gulped, wishing that this mission would be over in the blink of an eye.

 

;

 

“The fuck is this?” Ryan wondered to himself as he held up the outfit that Damon had someone deliver to Ryan’s (terrible) room in the apartment.

 

The entire three rooms (which made up the apartment) were the rusting bathroom with a ripped curtain, a bedroom which held a metal bed frame, a clock which sat idly on the wall and surprisingly held the right time, and a mattress that really needed to be replaced, and finally the (barely) living room which a small wooden coffee table and a dark red couch which had fluff oozing out of it and one of the pillows was stained darker than the rest (making Ryan remind himself to  _ never _ touch the couch in general or really any of the furniture). Even though this man possessed an extreme amount money, it was obvious where that money certainly wasn’t going to.

 

Ryan had been shown to his room and Damon asked him for his size in clothing and after giving him the answer, the older man wished him a good evening and that he should be down in the back room by 5:30 in his outfit since he’d be working the 6:15 shift until closing, which was 2:00 am that night. Ryan nodded and as soon as Damon had exited his new home for the next few days, he felt comfortable to let out an almost silent sigh. His body had relaxed as much as it could, a tense feeling still lingering under his skin as he stood in the apartment that could’ve been used as the setting for a murder. He started to walk around, checking around to see if there was anything that even seemed relatively new within the past 10 years, but to no avail nothing had caught his eye. The rooms were all simple and held as little furniture as they could. Ryan wondered if Damon would even have the furniture refurbished if something were to happen.

 

After getting tired of everything that had happened, he began to long for his friends and boyfriend, wishing that he could send them a message or even just call them, say hello, and hang up. He found the cleanest spot against the wall he could and rested there, holding his face in his hands as he sat in almost silence, the only noise able to be heard was the usual traffic jam on the main street in Los Santos that held constant screeching of tires and honking, with the occasional yelling. Man did Ryan long for the loudness of his friends as they argued over the most stupid topic or how they’d tease each other when one messed up on what he said or did. Even when Ryan would yell at them, telling them to either quiet down or that both parties were in the wrong, he always appreciated the loudness in comparison to his past.

 

Ryan wasn’t sure how long had passed but he awoke to knocking on his door and he took a few seconds to thoroughly wake himself up before rising up, leaning on the wall for support. The knocking came again and Ryan said, “give me a second, sorry” to try and let his tired body wake up as fast as it can. After hearing another knock, he finally pushed himself towards the door and opened it up to see a pissed off looking man dressed in a suit which needed to be washed. 

 

“Sorry about that,” Ryan apologized, his gaze averting towards his feet as he used his right arm to scratch the back of his neck. “I was taking a nap and to he-” Ryan continued but was interrupted by the man shoving a box to him, grumbling something under his breath. 

 

Ryan took the box into his hands and before he could thank the man, he had walked away, heading down the hallway to the elevator which resided at the end. Ryan closed the door behind him as he headed to the living room, taking a peek in the bedroom to see that the clock read that it was 4:47. He still had over half an hour to get down there and had an aching feeling of what the box occupied and that just made him more apprehensive to open the box. 

 

After minutes passed, Ryan knew that the box wouldn’t open itself and that if he were probably even a second late… well he didn’t want to face what Damon might say or do to him especially since it was his first day. Ryan’s fingers glided across the tape, trying to find the end, and when he did the end was already leaning off of the box. The noise of the tape being ripped off made the anxiety which was rising up in Ryan’s chest even more transparent as he got closer to finding what inhabited the box. When he opened up the flaps of the box, his heart dropped at the sight of all of the black. Ryan slowly began to pull out the outfit which had led him to where he was now, sitting in the middle of the living room as he stared at the outfit he was going to have to display himself in for the next days.

 

Ryan stood up and looked around, making sure that the window he had wasn’t going to expose him to passerbys or that there were any cameras around, which was not the case thank the lord. He stripped off his outfit from before, standing in only his boxers as he stared at the outfit. Ryan turned the outfit around and gagged at how this whole outfit was made in general. Slipping on the boots he’d have to wear, he began to wonder about people who do this job by choice. How did those people wear these outfits and other outfits with even less to show and still have some pride? Ryan shook his head in disbelief and slipped off his boxers, only to slide up the new outfit. Once the red underwear along with the black lace pattern rounding it was slipped on correctly (along with having to fix the black rubber strand that circled on both his mid-thighs with the strap that ran up his thigh, connecting the two articles of clothing), he slipped on the suspenders which were also black and lacey. He pulled at the left suspender, groaning at the stinging pain when it slapped back onto his skin. 

 

He checked on the clock again, seeing that it was only 4:58 and Ryan wondered how the hell he’d survive these next days. Damon didn’t say he couldn’t leave to stop somewhere nearby but at the same time, the thought of someone trying to even take half a step outside of this place probably caused the powerful man to raise hell. Ryan did feel some fear when any thought of rebelling against Eder, or Eder in general, popped into his mind but there was still something that reminded Ryan at the end of the day that he had some power over the man. Whether it be the fact that he had a whole gang who would be there behind him, that he still had some decent human morals, or some other force that Ryan wasn’t too sure of, he still had some power. 

 

Ryan began to wonder if he was able to leave early when another knock was heard on the door and he was puzzled who that could be. He had his outfit which began to make him feel more and more uncomfortable the longer he wore it. It’s not like he wasn’t happy with his body (especially since him and Luke often praised the others body and that really did help with Ryan’s confidence issues), hell he was proud of his body, but he just never had to reveal himself like this before. 

 

The knocking came again and as Ryan had previously learned, he didn’t want to cause this person to be enraged with him so his feet were quick to move the door, opening it to reveal a girl who was obviously younger than him. She had long hair and was also currently wearing her outfit and Ryan silently thanked the gods that he wasn’t female so he didn’t have to wear an outfit that almost exposed everything like hers. She was almost Ryan’s height and had an innocent, young face, causing him to wonder if she was even legally old enough to work here.

 

“Can we talk in your room?” Her voice was soft, holding a soft Southern accent and Ryan slowly nodded, moving out of the doorway to let her in and as soon as she was inches into the room he closed the door quietly behind them.

 

“May I ask what you’re doing here?” Ryan asked and the girl ran a hand through her hair before turning around to face him.

 

“Why’re you here? You’re way too old by Mr. Eder’s standards to work here.” She spoke fast and her eyes were fixed on Ryan’s own.

 

“I'm here because he’s paying off my crimes obviously, and I’m not. I’m 22.” Ryan tried to react as normal as he can, unsure if this girl was able to be trusted but his doubts were quick to be disproven.

 

“Stop bullshitting me, I just want to know why you’re here. You’ve obviously got some agenda and if it’s to earn something, in this hell you only lose. You are new and if you escape now, they won’t be able to track you as fast as most of us.” She moved forward to grip both of Ryan’s arms with her hands and Ryan looked down at her, wondering how long she has been here for.

 

“How long have you been here?” He asked, hoping that she’d drop the previous topic and to his pleasure, the question caused her to look up and he noticed that she was upset, making him to wonder what made her feel that way.

 

“Almost a year and a half. I’m almost 18 but according to Mr. Eder I’m 20.” Ryan clenched his fist, wanting to know how many others who were underage worked here and how long they had been sentenced to this torture for.

 

“I’m Ryan, you?” He wanted to try and help her feel more comfortable and since she was being so open, he might as well too.

 

“Piper.” Her voice was even weaker than before, and Ryan wrapped his arms around the girl, dread filling the pit of his stomach as he thought about how 5:30 was coming to a close and that he would soon have to leave this girl to suffer the rest of the night by herself. They stayed in the spot for several more seconds, embracing each other and Ryan’s heart dropped at the question of how long it had been since she had last received a hug of comfort from someone.

 

Piper pulled away and glanced up at the clock, and before Ryan could take a peek, she interrupted him. “We should be going now, wouldn’t want you late for the first day, eh?” She asked in a (obviously faked) confident tone and Ryan was hesitant to nod but when he did, she grabbed his hand and began to pull him along. 

 

“Yeah, that would suck.” Ryan muttered as she let go and the two began to walk down the hall while his mind began to ask if it was constant that she’d break down like that before her shift or if today was different because she finally had someone to listen to.

 

The elevator ride down was silent, which Ryan was thankful for. He was worried of asking or saying anything that might accidentally cross the line and possibly trigger a bad reaction in Piper. She was too innocent for a club like this and he didn’t want to hurt her anymore than this prison had. 

 

;

 

The general lights were dimmed as neon colorful lights flashed upon the dancers who were on stage at that time currently, leaving the other workers to maneuver between the patrons who were clustered in groups, talking loudly over the techno music playing and staring too long at the worker who served them their drinks and food. Hands lingered close to the employee’s bodies and Ryan was more than thankful for the policy of not touching the employee because he’d be worried otherwise how far these customers might try to go.

 

Speaking of which, Ryan was reminded how much attention he’d been getting that night. When he served his first table of the higher-ups Evan was talking about, they all had been making comments asking if he was new and if he was willing to hang with one of them tonight. Ryan had begun to stutter, only answering the first question before he reminded them to look at the menus. When the men looked down at their menus, Ryan took his chance to dart away, reminding himself to go back in a few minutes to get their order. Looking around, he tried to spot any of his friends but it was so difficult to see anyone in general that spotting his friends was practically useless. 

 

Someone’s finger tapping his shoulder sent a shock up his spine and he was quick to turn, holding the notepad and pencil close to his chest. When it registered to him that a worker was the one who did that, he visibly relaxed but that relaxation disappeared when he said that a group of clientele wanted him specifically. When Ryan tried to argue that he already had a table, the other male said he’d take care of it. Ryan thanked him and walked towards where the other worker told him to, saying that the table was already seated and just waiting for him. When he got closer to the table, he couldn’t make out any of the faces. 

 

Seeing his friends made him relax, and seeing his boyfriend made him relax even more.

 

“Nice outfit there Ryan.” The first comment was made by a snickering Brian, who received a smack on his upper arm by Brock while Luke just stared at him.

 

“Toonzy, you good?” Ryan asked in a low voice, trying not to catch any unwanted attention as he bent down closer to Luke, making sure not to touch him even though it was  _ so _ tempting.

 

“Damn well I’m not good, my boyfriend is looking hot as shit and I can’t even do anything with him. So fucking unfair.” Luke grumbled the last part under his breath and Ryan’s face flushed a bright red that was barely able to be seen because of how way too open his boyfriend was.

 

“Keep it down Luke, keep everything in your pants. But could we get two manhattan’s and one martini?” Brock asked, noticing that a guard was starting to notice that the three were talking for a while.

 

“Of course, it’ll be right up.” Ryan said and began to walk away, turning around to see Luke staring after him (or at his ass, most likely, but Ryan wasn’t sure and didn’t really care).

 

After putting the order into the bar, he stood by the end and looked around, watching everything as the noise played loudly in his ears and it made him almost laugh because never would he have thought as a child that he might end up in a situation like this. He took notice of Damon who stood near one of the exits, leaning against the wall as he watched one of the dancers who was currently performing some move on the pole. Ryan shook his head, turning when he heard what he had put in being called out. Grabbing the drinks with ease, he made his way back to the table and placed the drinks down gently, letting his friends grab whatever one’s they wanted. It seemed as if Brock was the designated driver, so it made sense that he got an easy drink in comparison to the others. 

 

“How’ve you been making out?” Brock asked as he pulled out his phone and Ryan let out a sigh, looking down at his boyfriend who met his eyes.

 

“I miss you guys way more than I thought. It’s a hell here, the rooms? Barely furnished and they’re dirty as hell. One of my pillows is stained darker than the rest and I’m scared to get even within a foot of it.” Ryan began to complain but caught himself, taking a peek at where Damon was supposed to be standing but now the spot was occupied by someone else.

 

“I just can’t wait for this to be over.” Ryan had said and when the guys went quiet, we wondered why until an arm was thrown around his shoulders and when he looked to the right, he was disappointed to see it was Eder.

 

Ryan wished he could disappear at the moment because the drink Damon was holding lightly spilled on him as he threw his hand around. His breath, which Ryan hated that he had to be so close, reeked of alcohol and he felt his stomach churn. Ryan had never been big on drinking, coming from a rough past that contained partial substance abuse, he grew up wishing to not interact with the drink and repeat the vicious cycle. When he looked down at his friends, Luke seemed to be the most visibly angry but Ryan was able to tell that the other two were almost as angry, probably able to sense his discomfort. On the other hand, Luke knew everything about Ryan and vice versa, so the former was more than well aware of why Ryan was unable to try and go along with this drunken man’s arm around him and his drink so close to his face.

 

“How’re you wonderful men doing tonight? Isn’t our new worker just a sight to behold?” Damon asked, placing his glass down onto the table and the grip on Ryan’s upper arms were tough as he slowly spun him around.

 

“Quite lovely, but my friends and I are here for one last night before our pal, Pat,” Brian gestured towards Luke. “See he’s getting married tomorrow, more of an impulsive decision, and we just want to treat him to his true last night as a freed man so could we get him a private dance in one of the rooms in the back with this one?” Brian motioned between Luke and Ryan, a sly grin on his lips and Ryan wasn’t sure if he wanted to thank Brian or have Brock punch him out of embarrassment. 

 

Brian and Damon discussed the deal and Ryan was grateful for his friends scheme, excited that he now got to spend time with just Luke alone. Damon called him out of their thoughts and Ryan, as him and Luke left with Eder, turned around to see Brock and Brian giving them knowing smiles, which in return made Ryan stick his tongue out at them. He was quick to turn back around, hoping that no one noticed his actions.

 

Damon excused them to a room in the far back corner and as soon as Eder closed the door behind him, Luke was quick to pounce on his boyfriend, hands feeling each others bodies and as soon as the first one came up for a breath, Ryan was panting heavily as he tried to talk though his brain felt like slush .

 

“Wh- Cameras? Exist?” Ryan tried to ask and Luke grinned, placing a kiss on Ryan’s neck before tracing up to his jawline.

 

“Evan discussed this situation with us and he said back here is the only safe place to talk since there aren’t any cameras.” Luke’s voice was fast and Ryan barely caught what he said before Luke went back to kissing various parts of his body.

 

“Weird.” Was Ryan’s only comment before he pulled Luke up to make out with him again.

 

The passion between the two was burning and Ryan was unsure of how he had been able to stay away from his lover for this long. Their movements were the perfect pace and it was like the two were in complete sync in every way possible at that moment. While hands roamed each other, the two began to push their limits as far as they could go. 

 

Each time Ryan or Luke pulled away to breathe, the former always had a chance to look at significant other in such a state and he admired everything about it. He loved the red which was most evident from across one cheek to another, even covering the tip of his nose. His hair was a mess from how much Ryan had ran his hands through his hair but damn did Luke rock that look. His eyes were soft yet something in them burned, craving for more to keep him aflame. 

 

After minutes of bathing in each other’s presence, Ryan finally let his voice fill the silence.

 

“This mission sucks.” His comment made Luke giggle and Ryan felt his heart skip a beat at the noise.

 

“You could say that again. Next time Delirious is doin’ this shit so Evan can suffer too.” Luke’s comment now made Ryan start to laugh, an image of Delirious in an outfit similar to his causing him to laugh even louder, causing Luke to shush him so they wouldn’t catch any attention. 

 

“Sorry, sorry. The image is just too funny though.” Ryan whispered as he slid his hand into his lover’s, gripping it tightly. 

 

“Yeah, I don’t wanna imagine my best friend in an outfit like yours though. But, I know Evan’ll get pissed at me for not getting it, so what info do you have?” Ryan shook his head at his boyfriend’s question and he didn’t want to think about how fucked up everything was around here.

 

“This guy’s fucked in the mind, a girl I met earlier isn’t even 18 and she’s been here for a year and a half. She can’t be the only one, that’s the thing. Besides that though, nothing else has stood out, but I’ll try to sneak more and see if I can get anything.” Ryan whispered as he let his head rest on Luke’s chest, wishing they could go back to their apartment and cuddle for the rest of their life.

 

The minutes passed as they stayed in that position, talking about different things now. Their conversations were about whatever they wanted, mainly what they would do once this mission was over. They’d make out here and there, but that was common for even a normal day. Though, when the knocking on the door came, signaling that it was time, they separated quickly and with sadness running through Ryan. The door opened, revealing Eder who held a new drink, and from his state, he was clearly drunk. 

 

“How was he? It was his first day so spare him some... mistakes.” Eder directed his sloppy words towards Luke, winking at the end and Ryan saw his boyfriend grin. 

 

“He was perfect actually, sad that I’m getting married now. I’d divorce my man for this sweet thing any day.” Luke’s words made Ryan blush as his “boss” walked next to him and wrapped his free arm around the worker, keeping his eyes on Luke.

 

“Well, if you visit any time soon, I won’t tell ye’r husband about any of,” Eder pointed between Ryan and Luke. “This.” Eder slurred his s’ and Ryan felt like vomiting as curiosity grew in his chest of what time it was, wishing that he could go back to the apartment and stay up, not having to be surrounded by horny and/or drunk men. 

 

“Ah thank you, I should be going now though, but I’ll see you around.” Luke gave his goodbye, meeting eyes with Ryan and winking, and the brunette wanted to follow Luke out as he left.

 

“Now Ryan, there are some other special customers who want to meet you.” The words left Damon’s lips and Ryan gulped quietly, hoping that time would pass in a flash.

 

;

 

His apartment was quiet and while it did reek of something foul, Ryan could not figure out what it was a mixture of, he found it more comforting than the club. When he had arrived back though, he was happy to find that there were clean clothes sitting in a box, sitting on the coffee table. There was also some normal clothing in there, and he sighed in relief at the sight of extra underwear. He was quick to change out of his outfit, feeling relaxed in his newfound pajamas, before a knock was heard.

 

He glanced at the clock and was surprised that someone was knocking on his door at 2:23 am, especially after a work night. He headed towards the door, opening it to reveal Piper who, even through the dim lighting, he could see the heavy makeup still applied on her face. Her hair was messy and he felt his stomach drop at how small she looked in her pajamas.

 

“Piper? What are you doing here?” Ryan asked as he moved aside, letting the girl in and she was quick to enter the apartment, quickly hugging the brunette as she let her head rest in the crook of his neck. 

 

“It’s cold tonight.” Her voice was muffled and Ryan nodded, kicking the door closed softly as he wrapped his arms around the girl, and while the touch was nice, he longed for his own lovers.

 

“Are we allowed to be in each other’s room?” Ryan asked and Piper shrugged between his arms, picking her head up to look right into the brunette’s eyes. 

 

“I’ll take the blame.” The long-haired girl said as she brought herself even closer to the male, enjoying the warmth the two shared in that moment. 

 

“You know,” Piper said minutes later through the silence. “You never told me why you were here.” Her voice was still quiet but there was some confidence in her tone. 

 

“I’m here to help… get your freedom again.” His answer was shaky and he wouldn’t blame Piper for not believing him, but after hearing about her and how shady Damon Eder was, he felt a strong feeling in his chest to help these workers out. They were all in debt, and Damon had taken advantage of that, turning them into his own little workers for his own entertainment. 

 

“You should’ve escaped, there’s nothing you can do.” Piper said and Ryan could only shrug in response, quietly laughing.

 

“Piper, do you trust me?” He asked her as he took a step back, making sure they were looking right into each other’s eyes once again.

 

“I.. I want to.” She stuttered and she detached herself completely from Ryan, glancing at the door then back to the brunette. 

 

“Goodnight, Ryan.” She whispered as she headed to the door and opened it, looking at Ryan for a few more seconds before she left, closing the door silently behind her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: blood, violence, and non-con/sexual assault

It was the next day and right before work, Ryan had been called down to Damon’s office. Well, he hadn’t been called down exactly, instead some security guard he didn’t know knocked on his door, said in a monotone voice that  _ “Sir Eder” _ wanted to see him, and had grabbed Ryan’s arm as the two walked side by side to the office of Damon Eder. Ryan focused on his breath, feeling his heartbeat that had been pounding in his ears slowly calm down but he was concerned about what Damon wanted to see him for. It was only his second day working, which the idea of this being a constant job made him want to shrivel up in disgust, and he wished he could shoot the man he was about to see already. Ryan had never been one for killing, hell even with the past he had, he hated having blood on his hands but if it meant taking down assholes like this, then he didn’t mind when it happened.

 

They arrived at the office and the security guard knocked on the door in a certain pattern which Ryan repeated in his mind until the door opened to reveal Damon who had a sly look on his face.

 

“Ryan, please do come in.” Eder said, slipping next to the male as the security guard left and he almost let his face show the disgust he felt when the prick placed a hand on the middle of his back to guide him into the office. 

 

“Drink?” Damon offered and Ryan shook his head, deciding to take a seat instead, wanting this to be over as soon as possible.

 

Even though Ryan had denied the drink, Eder still made him one and placed it onto a metal coaster that had a pattern engraved in it. The brunette didn’t trust the drink and instead focused on the powerful man in front of him who seemed to be taking his time into his chair. The anxiety was growing in Ryan’s stomach but he made sure not to let it be expressed on his face. 

 

“So I realized, I never properly introduced you to some of the workers here,” Damon began, his face growing from warm to cold in an instant. “I think that may be for the better though, I mean, something about you is… different.” Eder finished off his statement in a whisper as he leaned forwards a bit, taking a sip of his drink and fear rushed through Ryan.

 

“I mean, we’ve had male workers here before, but you were just so popular last night that I wonder…” Damon trailed off and Ryan’s instincts from when he was younger kicked in that this situation was  _ not safe and that he needed to go  _ but he couldn’t let on that he knew something was up.

 

And in a split second Eder was around the table, behind the brunette, using his hands to pin downs the worker’s arms and god Ryan wished he could act normal and beat the fuck out of this guy. Had he done this to other workers? The question made the fear disappear and anger took over as Damon began to speak, sliding a hand up Ryan’s arm as the other headed towards the brunette’s lower region. His breath hitched as Eder grabbed his inner thigh which was way too close to his dick and if it was Luke (hell maybe even any of the other guys) this would’ve felt  _ fucking fine _ but he just felt scared and useless. He could do more, he could probably pin this guy to ground within a few seconds but he was supposed to stay inconspicuous or else everything would go wrong and he would fail everyone here. He would fail his team, he would fail Luke, he would fail Piper. He would fail Evan. He would fail  _ himself. _

 

The door slammed open and there stood Tyler undercover, a panicked expression on his face and though Ryan loved every one of his teammates so much and was always happy to see them, he was especially happy now. Words came out of the tall man's mouth a mile per minute and Eder sighed heavily, obvious annoyance behind it as he pushed himself off of Ryan. The man left the office and Tyler stood there, watching Damon leave before focusing on his friend.

 

“Are you okay?” Tyler asked, moving quick to place a hand on Ryan’s shoulder and god did being touched by someone he knew feel so nice.

 

“I’m shaken up but I’m okay. I wish I could punch his face in though.” Ryan ended with laughter but the two of them knew it wasn’t a joke

 

“I’ll take you back to your room but I do have things to tell you.” The tall man said as he offered Ryan a hand up, who gladly accepted it, and the two headed back to the brunette’s room in silence. 

 

Upon entering, Tyler began. “Evan’s been holding back since he wanted enough information on the guy and after tonight, we should be able to launch an attack. Of course, the attack will probably be tomorrow but we’ve got enough proof of his crimes and we just need to make sure that we can get the workers out in a safe manner. Besides that, we’re ready. I’ll deliver something tonight at 12:30 since Marcel will be on camera and he can shut yours off for a few minutes, but that’s it. The box will have weapons and you need to hide it in the kitchen cupboard right after, okay?” Tyler’s words slowly started to mesh and Ryan nodded along, still shaken up from what happened.

 

“I should go before it gets suspicious but I’ll be watching you closely tonight, okay? If anything bad happens just give me a signal.” Tyler patted his friend’s shoulder before turning and starting to head out of the room.

 

“Thanks Tyler.” Ryan said and the tall man gave a thumbs up before officially leaving his room. 

 

As soon as Tyler left the room, the brunette let out a heavy sigh. He still had about five/six hours left until he needed to go down for work, so he decided on leaning against the wall and trying to nap. He couldn’t shake off the feeling of Eder’s rough hands and the thought of Tyler not being there at that time, of showing up too late, scared him to death. Images flashed through his head of Ryan having to submit, having to pretend like he couldn’t fight back just so he wouldn’t fuck things up for the group. The idea of punching in Damon’s face at that moment, making him groan in pain and feel  _ terrified _ of Ryan sent pleasure through his spine.

 

God, this mission needed to be over already.

 

///

 

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed when he heard a knock on the door. He’d been lost in thought, definitely for a while now, but once he looked at the clock, he found himself in shock at the time. He had about 20 minutes before his shift started.

 

He rushed up onto his feet, stumbling slightly as he leaned heavily against the wall to try and wake up fully. He felt a worry fill in his gut as he started to walk towards the door, fixing his outfit in the process.

 

He opened the door to see some random guard, telling him to be down in five or else he’d get a punishment from Sir Eder. Ryan nodded, said thank you, and closed the door. He felt his body tense up as he thought about having to be alone with that fucking guy again, and this time Tyler couldn’t barge in again or it’d be suspicious. He’d have to let himself succumb and as the possibility filled his mind, tears began to well up in his eyes. 

 

He knew the line of business was fucked, he did. He knew that as someone who went undercover, he’d had have to do fucked up things and knew that even though he couldn’t help everyone, at the end of the day he was doing these things for the better of people. He was helping those who couldn’t solve the problem, and doing it as police chased after them, as if they were the bad guys.

 

He let these thoughts challenge themselves in his brain as he finished fixing up his outfit before heading out of his room and downstairs, passing by a few workers on his way. The workers he passed were sluggish as they looked close to having a breakdown, and he wondered, with each person he passed, how long each of them had been there for now. How long they had been suffering under the roof of Eder. How long they lost their liberty and how long ago they lost their hope.

 

He found himself downstairs within minutes, still lost in his thoughts, and he didn’t realize where he was going until he accidentally bumped into another worker.

 

“S-Sorry!” Ryan apologized as he lightly held the other worker’s arm, looking at the girl with concern.

 

“It’s ok-” she said as she was quick to push the taller male away in a rush, looking around, and as her eyes came back to the brunette, she sighed in relief.

 

“Sorry about that, I just don’t want to get into trouble.” The girl looked as young as Piper but had a strong New York accent and her dark blonde hair was tied up, exposing her shoulders which held some cuts and a light bruise on top of her left shoulder.

 

The girl must’ve understood his confusion because she continued on.

 

“I’m guessing you’re new but there’s a no touch policy between workers.” Her voice was quiet and Ryan nodded slightly, not saying anything because honestly everything felt so unreal here.

 

He could only mutter an  _ oh _ as she whispered a goodbye, heading past him. He felt a void in his stomach as he thought about how lonely these workers probably were. They couldn’t touch each other without fearing about the punishment, and as Ryan thought back to when him and Piper had been hugging, he wondered how much trouble she could’ve gotten in if they had been caught.

 

Clenching his fist, he made his way towards a manager and checked in with them, asking what he’d be doing tonight. He was assigned from 2:30-12:00 to serve patrons then he could head back to his shabby room and fall asleep.

 

He could not wait for this mission to be over and to save the workers here.

 

///

 

When Ryan woke up, the first thing he realized was that he was  _ not _ in the room at the club. That either meant that he was still dreaming or someone had kidnapped him in the middle of the night. He tried to move his body but realized that his hands were bound to each other with rope and duct tape, along with his legs. He was still on the ground, since he felt the cold and extremely uncomfortable cement beneath him while still in his outfit, and he was seriously starting to wonder what the  _ fuck _ was happening.

 

“So our little bunny woke up, hm?” A familiar, chilling voice asked loudly, yet sounded so close, and Ryan immediately felt his lungs start to tighten.

 

Damon Eder.

 

“You know,” his voice was closer and Ryan felt a hand on his body and as it was removed, a boot kicked him in his stomach so the brunette rolled over to look up at the man. “I don’t like to hire liars.” Eder snapped his fingers and soon people in black suits had the male in their grasp and were bringing him over to a chair before Ryan’s body could even respond to what was happening.

 

As the men started to tie him up to the chair, he knew he had to at least try to get something out of Eder.

 

“Where am I?” Ryan asked as the men finished up tying his hands, so as he leaned his body forward, the men were quick to push him back against the chair.

 

“Just a little warehouse I own. I wouldn’t get too curious since your life isn’t the only one on the line.” Damon said as he snapped his fingers once again and as the men pulled away from the chair, finished with tying Ryan up, a cart was started to be pushed into the room.

 

“Who else are you planning on hurting? I don’t know anyone at the club.” Ryan’s voice was tight and he knew he had to play dumb or else he’d hurt more than just one person.

 

“That friend of yours who ruined our private time, Tyler was it?” The tied up man had to hold back his expression and comment.

 

“I don’t know who that is.” Ryan said as he couldn’t help but look away for a quick second from Damon and that was all the man needed.

 

“I said it before, I don’t appreciate liars, Ryan. Now, I’m going to ask some questions so be a good boy and answer them or else.” Damon threatened as he clapped and the men were back at his side, staring right at Ryan, no expression on their faces.

 

“Now, who sent you to work under me?” Eder asked and Ryan bit his lip.

 

“No one did, you asked me to work for you.” The brunette said and he looked down at his lap, hearing the men come over to him and soon, an immense pain was radiating from the middle of his stomach.

 

“I’ll ask again, who sent you to work under me?” The older male asked more threateningly this time and Ryan knew this was going to fucking hurt but he could only have faith in his teammates that they’d find out what's happened and would be there to save him and Tyler.

 

“No one did.” The brunette said as he felt a new surge of pain in his stomach and he couldn’t help but start coughing.

 

“Don’t fuck with me, I know someone sent you.” Eder insisted as the men walked away and the male walked up, his hand moving to grip Ryan’s thigh.

 

“I’m telling the tru-” Ryan began and Damon’s hand was quick to let go and the male stood straighter within a second, slapping the tied up male with much force that it echoed loudly within the building.

 

“Since you won’t tell me the truth, you’ll pay, Ry.” 

 

When Luke said that nickname, Ryan wanted him to keep repeating it.

 

When Damon said it, it made Ryan want to throw up.

 

Of course, the feeling didn’t long last, especially when he felt the blade dig into the skin of his thigh and start to drag itself along, marking initials of some form. The brunette’s screams were loud and he felt the tears moving down his cold cheeks, and all he could think of were his teammates, hopefully looking for him, hopefully coming soon to stop the pain and the blood he could feel flowing out of his thigh.

 

“Scream louder.” Damon had whispered as he began to leave kisses around the area that he had marked, digging his knife deeper into Ryan’s body.

 

The tears were just streaming down in multiple at that time and all he could feel, all he could fucking focus on, was how painful everything was. There was a loud ringing in his ears, and he almost didn’t notice that he was still screaming, but now it was mixed with his sobs. 

 

He didn’t realize Damon had walked away until he felt a rag pushed into his mouth and he looked up at the other male who was grinning scarily.

 

“Next question,”

 

///

 

Ryan had been tortured for however long. He had no idea the sense of time, and as he laid on the ground, shivering as he could feel his body weakening rapidly, he wondered how much more he’d go through. Damon had his goons, and even himself, had beaten up Ryan, left Damon’s initials in his thigh, used other weapons to leave marks on numerous parts of his body, and had even started to touch Ryan, leaving him kisses and telling him how much he  _ fascinated _ about him.

 

He was petrified that Damon could be anywhere, whether it be close or far, and was probably ready to hurt Ryan even more. The brunette was panicking as he stared at the wall, and no matter what else he tried to focus on, he just couldn’t. His breaths were rapid and he could only wish he had a blanket, wishing that he was wrapped beneath multiple blankets in a heated room.

 

Though, when he heard the doors open, every ounce of hope he had just imagined disappeared and he closed his eyes as the footsteps got closer until they stopped and Ryan could sense that whoever was there were surrounding him.

 

“Blindfold him and we’ll take him to the room.” Damon’s voice was obviously angry and Ryan felt his body tense up at the idea as some of the guys picked him up, his feet dragging on the ground as they brought him over to whatever this room was.

 

Of course, Ryan had “woken up” when his head was kicked roughly by a boot, causing him to let out a yell of pain, and within the first second, he had opened up his eyes and, dumbly he noted, tried to fight against the restraints on his body. When he was kicked again, simultaneously in the middle of his back by one person and his chest by the other, he was breathing heavily and coughing, unable to hear anything but the heavy beating of his heart in his chest.

 

“Now, lets see if you’ll act better now.” Damon said as he snapped his fingers and one of the men gripped Ryan’s hair roughly, yanking his head up to look right into Damon’s eyes, his body following after the tug of his head.

 

Ryan had refused to answer any of the question earlier, and he had hoped, that if they did see Tyler, that he hadn’t been tortured as much as the brunette.

 

“Why were you assigned to work under me? Who’s planning on taking me down?” Eder asked and Ryan could tell how little patience this man had left.

 

“No one, I keep telling you this.” Ryan said through heavy breaths, his thoughts going to his friends and wondering if they’d find him before these fuckers killed him.

 

With a snap of his fingers, a bat was brought out, and on it was barbed wire. He felt the wire dig into the side of his stomach as it was brought down harshly on him and a scream escaped his lips. He felt the wires twist and turn in the wounds as the blood trickled down his side and Ryan felt like he was  _ barely fucking breathing  _ anymore.

 

The bat was taken out harshly and within seconds was brought down on his other side as another scream left, and he could feel how scratchy his throat was. The blood running down his body was the only feeling he could focus on, though he did know so many other things were happening too around him.

 

Ryan closed his eyes, barely registering the tears that were leaving his eyes, and he could only wonder how much longer this torture would go on for before his friends found him. They had to know that him and Tyler were missing, right? Marcel or someone would’ve had to told them?

 

He was starting to lose conscious, he noted, as he started to feel dizzy and the last thing he heard was gunshots, along with yelling.

 

///

 

Ryan woke up with something  _ soft _ beneath him and he wondered if he was dead. He wasn’t sure if he had gotten out of that warehouse, but when he opened his eyes, he did jolt at the sight of being in a familiar hospital room. The lights were luckily dim and the only thing he heard clearly was the beeping of the monitor to the right of him.

 

Then, he felt that somebody was holding his hand, and upon glancing towards his left, he saw the person he had missed most.

 

Luke.

 

He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He tried to make a noise and realized how much it hurt to do anything. 

 

He moved his head to look down at the exposed parts of his body and realized how bruised he truly was on his arms. There were some cuts from the torture, but it was mainly just black and blue bruises that already formed that littered mostly among his arm. He could only wonder what underneath the hospital gown looked like, and the possible idea of that image sent a shiver down Ryan’s spine.

 

The action woke up Luke, who when realized that his lover was awake, was quick to wake up and tear up at the sight of his lover.

 

“Ryan, oh my god, are you okay? Do you need anything? Should I get the others?” Luke had started to talk too fast and Ryan felt like he was closing in on himself at how much quicker his boyfriend was responding.

 

Ryan pointed to his throat and Luke understood, telling Ryan he’d be right back and left the room, leaving the brunette alone for a few minutes.

 

He moved more under the sheets, basking in how warm and nice this felt in comparison to the floor of that damned warehouse. How nice it was to know the others were in this house, ready to give him the support he needed. He felt his eyes close and before Luke had even returned, he fell into another slumber.

 

///

 

“How long should we keep him out of the line for?” A deep voice asked from somewhere across the room.

 

“With his physical injuries, I’d say at least 4 weeks minimum, since we should try some physical therapy too. But emotionally, I think you shouldn’t put him in for a while. I don’t know what they did, but if he’s anything like Tyler, it’s going to be a while.” A softer voice replied and Ryan decided to toss and turn slightly before opening his eyes to reveal Evan and Brock near the doorway.

 

“Afternoon Ryan.” Brock said with a wave.

 

“How’re you doing?” Evan asked and as Ryan tried to speak, he realized his throat was still out of commission.

 

He pointed towards his throat, feeling this was all too familiar, and Evan nodded before heading out.  

 

“Give me a thumbs up to a thumbs down for how you’re feeling.” Brock stated and Ryan considered everything, and decided to place his thumb in the middle, knowing that he was better now but still had a lot to deal with.

 

“I’ll give you an assessment of your injuries later if you’d like? Then we can talk about what happened if you’re comfortable, if not, we can take time with that. Tyler just opened up to us about what happened to him and it sounded… terrible.” Brock grimaced at the end and looked away as Evan entered with water and some medicine.

 

Ryan gladly accepted the items given to him and downed them all within seconds.

 

“If you want I can get paper or a whiteboard with some markers? You can communicate that way until your throat is better?” Evan suggested and Ryan nodded, hoping it wouldn’t take long for his throat to get better and for his voice to come back.

 

“I’ll go talk to Lui about getting something, want me to send anyone up here?” Evan asked in general but the three knew he was asking Ryan for certain.

 

When Ryan shook his head, just wanting to talk, well probably sing somehow, with Brock for now, the leader nodded his head, understanding.

 

It’s not that Ryan didn’t want to see Luke, but he wasn’t sure how well he’d do. He loved Luke, absolutely adored the man, but right now, everything felt like too much. The resident doctor of the group was a comforting presence since he didn’t feel pressured to talk about anything, even topics that had nothing to do with everything that happened. Brock gave him a heads up that he was going to refill the glass of water and Ryan nodded, assessing in his mind everything that happened (or trying to for that matter, everything felt jumbled right now).

 

He subconsciously felt his hand go to his thigh, and upon bringing down the sheets, while moving up his gown, he saw the letters Damon carved in his thigh were there and screaming at him that he’d be forever marked with this. He’d forever have the letters, along with the kisses around them, marked in his skin and that the man would truly never leave him.

 

The letters  **D.E.** would forever be scarred on him and he knew one day, it’d be okay, he’d glance over it, but looking at it now, he could only shake in fear at the idea of the man who had caused him so much pain. Who had tried to say he found Ryan  _ appealing _ (which that thought still makes him want to vomit until stomach acid was coming out), while causing him so much pain. He could barely breathe as he thought about everything, the inappropriate touching and kisses that littered on his skin as he remembered all the blood that had ran down his skin.  

 

Brock came back to the sight and was quick to place the water on the table and bring back Ryan from the panic attack he was having, practicing some exercises he had found on the internet before. Soon the injured male was breathing normally and Brock was using tissues to wipe up the flowing tears as he pulled down the gown to cover up the initials, while bringing the sheets up to Ryan’s chest, leaving him much room to move around.

 

“Want some water?” Brock asked as he sat down next to Ryan and the latter nodded.

 

He gladly drank the water, wondering how long he had gone without food or water. 

 

Once he finished the glass and gave it back to Brock, he looked forward towards the door, as if someone was going to walk in that moment. He began to rub his left arm as he wondered how long it’d take him to be  _ okay. _

 

///

 

It had been almost a week and Ryan was speaking again, along with taking visitors. He had yet to tell anyone about what happened, since every time he thought about everything, he started to feel nauseous and would start to freak out in his mind. Everyone except Tyler had visited and were all sorry, especially Marcel and Evan, who felt as if they had failed him especially and let him and Tyler get hurt.

 

Ryan tried to assure them they weren’t at fault, since they weren’t. Ryan knew the danger of this line of work and he was just thankful they found the males when they had.

 

Luke’s visits were both the best and the worst. He wished he could be more intimate with Luke, but even the idea of kissing sent Ryan into a panic. He could only remember Damon’s lips on him, his hands roaming on Ryan, and Luke had then kept his distance, deciding only to talk about things going on. He didn’t know what had happened to Ryan, but from how panicked he’d get with even the slightest amount of affection, he had an idea.

 

He never felt okay, he’d admitted to Brock when it was just the two of them. He felt so drained so often and had admitted that when he slept now, sometimes there were nightmares. He didn’t say what they were of, but the images would leave Ryan crying in the middle of the night to himself and the creatures outside of his window who might hear him. 

 

The day Tyler visited, Ryan could only cry at the sight of the male. He knew no one was to blame for the situation logically, but  _ god _ he felt at fault for Tyler’s torture. If only he had been stronger and more persistent, then maybe they wouldn’t have hurt him that badly.

 

Tyler asked if he could hug Ryan and the brunette accepted, not caring that he felt the vomit rise up in his throat at the affection. He and Tyler were broken, and he didn’t know to the extent of Tyler’s, but in that moment, he truly felt how broken he was and could only repeat sorry into the taller male’s ear, who whispered in return that  _ it was okay _ and  _ that if anyone should be sorry, I should be _ .

 

Ryan knew why he had told Tyler everything that happened first. Tyler was in the same shape as he was, emotionally scarred, and as Tyler told Ryan what had happened to him, he could only cry at it all. They had been through a hell with this man, and while they both did have the group to rely on, the two had begun to rely mainly on one another for help when it came to this. 

 

Ryan eventually had told everyone his story, with a supportive Tyler at his side, holding his hand the entire time, and everyone had gasped at his story. The group understood now at wy Ryan had flinched at certain actions or words, and more than understood the panic attacks now.

 

Time came and went, and the two males got better. They weren’t okay, they’d never be as okay as before, but they had time and that was all they needed. Their physical wounds healed, besides the DE which had scarred, which had caused Ryan to start putting bandages on top of it just to blind it away from his eye, but they knew it’d take longer for the emotional pain to heal. 

 

Ryan soon found out that the strip clubs had all been shut down and the workers were free to live their own lives again. Upon finding out Piper’s real name, due to John and Jaren’s help, he had begun to send the girl money and offered that if she ever needed help or  _ anything _ , he was there.

 

When he received a letter back, the words had given him a hopefulness he had lost long ago and he knew that he was going to be okay, even if that okay wasn’t perfect.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi this was a whole ass mess to write n im sorry Ryan, you're great n one of my faves which means I have to hurt you. anyways, this low-key helped me vent so yeehaw, hope y'all enjoyed! I wanna do more w the gang au so :DDD happy to finally have this done honestly and if u see any mistakes, please tell me. this was not beta read at all so lol
> 
> hmu on tumblr @ inuttorious


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